Nature News

'Slow quakes' finish off with a quick backwards flip

Posted Sun, 22 May 2011 17:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

A team from University of Washington has discovered that so-called 'slow quakes' which often last for weeks, are topped off with a rapid backwards travelling quake. The results are published today in Nature Geoscience, as part of a 6-year study into these slow cousins of the more destructive earthquakes that have so recently made the news headlines.

Work with 'The Big Muddys' rhythms says LSU scientist

Posted Fri, 20 May 2011 21:22:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

With the Mississippi flood surge reaching the lower Louisiana coast, a Louisiana State University professor is calling for a more intelligent flood management system to harvest its resources. Much of the river's sediment and floodwater could be put to better use, if a suitably designed diversion system could be made to work - with flood protection needs uppermost in mind.

Bison Hazing by Helicopter Sparks Lawsuit

Posted Thu, 19 May 2011 14:33:01 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

A plan to haze bison could seriously affect grizzlies in the Yellowstone area, an environmental group believes. The Alliance for the Wild Rockies filed the lawsuit against the Forest Service on Wednesday, March 18, in a federal court in Missoula, Montana.

Remarkable rodent rediscovered after 113 years

Posted Thu, 19 May 2011 13:51:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

A creature once thought extinct has been rediscovered in Colombia. Where would you expect to see a species last seen in 1898? Deepest jungle? At the bottom of the ocean? How about on your doorstep? The red-crested tree-rat, a little known guinea-pig sized rodent, casually appeared

Large carnivorous Hawaiian crab driven to extinction by first arrivals

Posted Mon, 16 May 2011 21:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

A new species of large, land-based, carnivorous crabs has been described in toady's PloS ONE - found all over the Hawaiian Islands. The catch is that they have been extinct for a thousand years - tipped into an early demise by newly arrived Polynesian colonists.

Climate Change Affects Animal Distribution

Posted Sun, 15 May 2011 13:25:00 GMT by Kieran Ball

A research group from Brown University have discovered that rainfall distribution affected the chosen habitat of mammals over 200 million years ago. A team of scientists at Brown University have established that early mammals confined themselves to one area of the continent while early reptiles known as procolophonids lived in another section.

Sperm whales speak with regional accents

Posted Sat, 14 May 2011 09:11:00 GMT by Lucy Brake

Latest research suggests that sperm whales communicate with different accents and regional dialects. Sperm whales communicate with each other using a pattern of clicks or 'codas' and it is well known that there is a pattern of a series of five clicks, which are evenly spaced apart, that is used by sperm whales all over the world.

Earthquake strikes Spain, killing at least eight people

Posted Thu, 12 May 2011 20:05:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

Hundreds injured, thousands homeless. At least eight people have died and 260 are injured after Spain's worst earthquake in 50 years. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck the southern Spanish town of Lorca on Wednesday evening, just two hours after a magnitude 4.5 tremor.

Lone Male Black Bears Responsible for Most Attacks on Humans

Posted Wed, 11 May 2011 16:29:00 GMT by Kieran Ball

Predatory male black bears are responsible for more deaths than female bears. An article in the Journal of Wildlife Management reports that the majority of fatal bear attacks on people are carried out by lone male black bears. Perhaps more significantly, the report also suggests that these attacks are on the increase.

2011 State of Birds Report

Posted Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:00 GMT by Brooke Janssens

''This year's report brings attention to the importance of public lands and waters for conserving America's wildlife and habitats.'' The recent release of the 2011 State of Birds report has given new insight into the welfare of America's bird populations, as well as the status of wildlife and conservation efforts.

Trees killed by Pine Beetles create more dangerous fires

Posted Fri, 06 May 2011 14:55:00 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

Fire ignites and spreads more easily in forests devastated by pine beetles, making new fire management plans crucial. In areas where many trees have been killed by pine beetle infestations, forest fires can spread more quickly, new research says. The dead trees are much drier than live wood, as are the red needles. The way fire behaves in areas struck by pine beetles, such as much of British Columbia and Montana, is changing dramatically in a short time.

Increase in whale strandings causes concern

Posted Fri, 06 May 2011 08:26:00 GMT by Melanie J. Martin

Whale and dolphin strandings and deaths may be on the rise due to sonar. In the past few years, whale strandings have risen, says a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) in a May 4 article on ABC News. The DEC isn't sure why whales are stranding more frequently, he says, but it plans to investigate the causes.

Rodent eradication declared a success in South Georgia

Posted Thu, 05 May 2011 17:20:00 GMT by Ruth Hendry

50 tonnes of rodenticide spread by helicopter to remove invasive species. South Georgia has been colonised by invasive rodent species. These introduced rodents feed on the eggs and young of ground-nesting native birds, which can offer no resistance. Every year thousands, perhaps millions, of young birds are eaten alive by rats.

Forearms point to Tasmanian tiger as a solitary hunter

Posted Tue, 03 May 2011 23:00:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, really was more like a solitary stalking tiger than a wolf, says a study into the bones of this extinct marsupial in the latest Biology Letters. That means it wasn't a direct competitor with the introduced dingo - raising questions about exactly how this top predator met its untimely demise in mainland Australia.

Look out for the little guys - smaller fish more vulnerable than thought

Posted Mon, 02 May 2011 19:00:01 GMT by Martin Leggett

Small fry may be at greater risk from population plunges than the big predatory fish, says a study out today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. That flips the convention that has fish species at the top of the food pyramid as most vulnerable to pollution and overfishing pressures; anchovies and sardines need looking after too.

Curious or cowardly - how greenfinches personality shines through

Posted Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:38:00 GMT by Martin Leggett

An experimental study on greenfinch personality has shown that being brave or curious has real biochemical consequences, when it comes to defending against dangerous oxidants. Braver and bolder finches show better antioxidant defenses than more timid and less adventurous birds, says the study in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

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What are we going to do about energy production, while the Paris Summit on carbon emissions looms in December? While we twiddle our thumbs, global warming is worsening at a faster and faster pace. Each individual on earth needs to act like his personal government and environmental agent, to gain a fuller appreciation of how technology and 'new' thinking can prevent such vast amounts of emissions. Many solutions are being found, but they have to appear this year. Otherwise, the winter in Paris could be uncomfortable in so many different ways.

The future is talked about, the climate is changing, but when will we finally stop the rot. Forests are essential but from Japanese furniture to cardboard and toilet paper, they are still being used illogically and incomprehensibly by people who all know better. The time has come to prevent the disappearance of these trees and all the animals that live in, on and around them. This is a desperate time for us and all the other species around forests.

Conservation is not only about the big animals. The plants, their consumers and the rest of an ecosystem may not catch headlines, but involving them and indigenous populations is crucial to our last ditch efforts to keep these organisms alive in their habitat.

When dolphins are 'rescued' in various countries, the car given seems to be ill-considered. We are simply looking at the success rate which is reported to be low, in most places. They could even end up in commercial aquarium shows, but they certainly rarely make it back to the sea.